Two-time WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista enters the ultimate spherical of the 2025 season with third place within the WorldSBK standings in his sights, however he wants a clear weekend to safe it.
Eight factors separate Bautista from his rivals within the battle for third, and the Spanish rider has a house spherical benefit on the season finale, though the 2024 version of the Jerez race didn’t go nicely for Bautista with just one level scored throughout the three races.
Working in Bautista’s favour, although, is the optimistic feeling he found in Estoril two weeks in the past the place he was in a position to end on the rostrum in all three races for less than the second time this season after the Italian Spherical in Could.
“To complete the season at house is all the time good, to have the help from my household, pals, my fan membership, so it’s all the time particular,” Alvaro Bautista advised WorldSBK.com forward of the Spanish Spherical.
“However it’s one other race. We’ve to work arduous from Friday.
“We’ve a superb feeling from the final spherical the place we have been fairly constant by the weekend, so we’ll attempt to do the identical right here.
“For certain, our goal is to battle for third place within the championship, so we’ll attempt to not make any errors like we did in Estoril and attempt to be centered, attempt to get the utmost in all of the conditions, and that’s all.”
Third within the standings might be determined between Bautista and Andrea Locatelli solely, since Danilo Petrucci was declared unfit.
Bautista was sympathetic to Petrucci’s scenario and admitted the Italian has had a season to be happy with.
“I’m so sorry for Danilo [Petrucci] as a result of for certain it’s not one of the simplest ways to defend the third place within the standings,” he mentioned.
“However sadly that is additionally a part of the sport, a bit unfortunate.
“I additionally should congratulate him as a result of he did actually an incredible season, he didn’t make errors and he was excellent by the season, so congrats to him even when he can not battle on-track for the third place. I feel he needs to be very happy with his season.”
The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider can also be cautious of Yamaha’s Locatelli, who was on the rostrum at Jerez in 2024’s Race 1.
“For certain, right here Locatelli could be very robust, I noticed in different seasons and he was on the rostrum a few occasions,” Bautista mentioned.
“So, it will likely be tough, particularly as a result of I don’t have actually good reminiscences from final yr once we have been with plenty of bother, however yearly is tough.
“We’ve to maintain the identical good feeling we had in Estoril, attempt to begin from there and attempt to enhance in the course of the periods and for the races.”
Locatelli: “After I began the season I used to be by no means fascinated by third”
For Andrea Locatelli, simply to be within the battle for third within the World Superbike standings is an overachievement versus his personal expectations at the beginning of the season.
However the Italian is now making an attempt to minimise the strain on himself forward of the ultimate spherical, and feels he wants some luck to be able to take the bronze medal.
“For certain, once I began the season I used to be by no means fascinated by [finishing third in the championship],” Locatelli advised WorldSBK.com.
“For certain now we now have the likelihood, we’re within the final spherical, however I don’t wish to have any strain about it as a result of, like all the time, I attempt to do my finest.
“If it will likely be a ‘fortunate’ weekend for us, possibly we’ll end within the top-three; if not, in any case, for me it will likely be general a superb season as a result of, ultimately, I did my finest each time.
“The goal additionally of this weekend might be to go on-track and do our greatest. Then, what’s occurring is typically not below management, we can not management, so let’s see.
“I don’t wish to cross any fingers […], so simply believing and attempt to do and belief myself to do my finest after which we see if we are able to have a celebration in regards to the top-three or no.”
